Beginning to learn, Beginning to Love
by vinegarette-kiss
Summary: DISCONTINUED After breaking free of the darkness, Cain begins to change with the help of Joshua. Three years later, the now mute Cain lives peacefully in his inherited mansion with Joshua. However a visit from Yamato & the gang changes it all.
1. Prologue: New Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own Cain or Joshua.

So…my first fic! I wrote this one cos I couldn only find one JoshuaXCain fic! Yes, this is a Shounen-ai/boy love fic, so read the warning. Not all the pairings are Shounen-ai.

WARNING: This fic contains Shounen-ai so if you don't like, don't read.

Pairings: GrayXJoshuaXCain WenXLeann Others may be added.

Prologue: New Beginnings

Joshua stood next to the wheelchair, staring at his former master, Cain. The once ambitious b-da player now sat slumped in the mechanical chair with no sign of life whatsoever, his deep violet orbs lifeless.

'At least…at least he's free from Marta B.' the young butler tried to convince himself, though he couldn't really tell if this Cain was any better than the one under Marta B's control.

'_At least that one had life…No. I can't think that way, now Cain's got a real chance a life, with true morals and friends_.' But the secret hatred of himself for letting it happen in the first place burned on, deep inside him.

He had asked Gray to take Cain down because…because then Cain wouldn't have broken down completely. Tat's what he wanted to believe but he knew that the real reason was that he was too cowardly to do it. Too scared of hurting his friend, to scar him, to break the imaginary bubble of protection around Cain that had been placed there since his birth. That's why he'd asked Gray – the strongest of Yamato's group mentally.

He'd thought about Yamato, but Yamato was much too unpredictable and the boy took pleasure in everything he did from eating to sleeping to b-da battling. Maybe it helped his attitude and game, making him a great b-da player. But Cain would not see it as Yamato's positive outlook but mockery and arrogance.

Terry would be too weak-minded for the job. The young ninja was naturally warm-hearted and a kind soul who couldn't resist helping anyone. He would not be able to do much at all as his conscience wouldn't allow it.

Wen was a different person all together. He was cocky, arrogant, slightly empty-headed but an amazing b-da player altogether. He knew the boy would take all to much pleasure in crushing Cain – there still were bits of his Shadow days left in him, the bit where winning was the sweetest pleasure of them all and crushing a opponent mercilessly just proved to be icing on the cake. Not to mention Cain had been a member of the NeoShadow Alliance, the very same alliance that had taken his brother away with him.

Leaving only one, Gray. The blonde was cool, calm and collected and was not easily affected by emotion, letting it show only around people he truly trusted like his friends and his sisters. Because of the way he worked, he'd been chosen.

In a way he just didn't understand he hated and admired the blonde at the same time. Watching Cain's defeat had been hard, one of the hardest things to do at that time, letting his master down. It was something that had taken him a long time to forgive himself for, he still slightly resented himself for now. Seeing that look of utter helplessness on his comrade's face had been heartbreaking. He knew that he would never have been able to do that.

Gray had just done it. But then, he had no attachments to his opponent, not the deep bond Joshua had shared. Gray had pulled down his hat and then he'd simply shot straight at Cain. Just like that.

'I'll never let you down again.' He remembered whispering against Cain's ear, his hand tightly grasping onto the limp one situated on the armrest.

Then he'd stood up, let go of the ice-cold hand and had prepared to move on when it had started snowing. Or so he thought. But it wasn't snow, they where like little spheres of light that slowly floated down then dissolved at touch. At least that was what happened to him when he touched them.

Cain however, made the first movement in hours. He slowly stretched his hand out and watched emotionlessly as one dropped into his palm. It had dissolved and then, something had just happened.

Like his soul had returned, the butler had stood up to help his master but then stopped and watched in utter amazement. The violet eyes lit up slowly and the boy made his way up until he stood up, just standing there.

Joshua remembered kneeling there proudly, watching his master make his first step towards recovery. He remembered standing up and clutching his master's hand tightly, as if he'd never let go, never ever.

'It's all going to be okay. Yamato and the others have done it.' He said comfortingly, and slowly pulled the other's arm around his neck.

"Come on, Master Cain," he took the first step forward but found Cain holding back. Turning around he looked worriedly upon his friend.

The boy shook his head and stood firm. No words were spoken.

"Did I do something to displease you Master Cain?" He'd asked formally, it was his job after all to make sure that his master was happy at all times. Not that had been happening much.

Cain shook his head again but still didn't say anything. Joshua had stared at the blonde, perplexed. If he hadn't done anything wrong, then what was the matter?

"Master Cain?" He asked questioningly, wishing his friend would just tell him the problem.

"Maste-" He was cut off by Cain placing both arms around him and giving him a secure hug. A sign of friendship? Then the blonde had released both arms and looked straight at him. Joshua had finally got it. Cain didn't want to be Master Cain anymore.

"Maste-, Cain?" The blonde nodded and a small smile appeared on his face, lighting it up.

"M-Cain? Why aren't you speaking to me?"

Cain looked directly at him for a minute and then opened his mouth and moved it. No sound. Then he'd mimicked a scream. Not a single sound.

Joshua finally understood. Cain had lost his ability to speak. Now it was his turn to move towards Cain and embrace him tightly. Pulling him slightly closer Joshua could only utter one phrase, "Please forgive me Cain."

Please review, cos you know what? Reviews make me happy!


	2. Chapter 1: Letter

Disclaimer: I don't own Cain or Joshua.

Understanding

'What I thought was the shattering of both our lives at that time later became clear to me that the saying Silence is Golden was true.'

5 years later

The sound of polished leather shoes clacked down the empty corridors of the McDonnell mansion. Slowly knocking on the door, the green-headed teen waited for response – a small tinkling sound.

Tinkling came and the teen walked inside. The walls previously a dark navy had been painted white and slightly lined with gold with curtains and covers on the four-poster bed. There was no further furniture except for an antique dresser and a small bookshelf to occupy the rest of the room.

Former awards and such were no longer on display as a coveted golden collection but quietly place away in the attic. Such spaces were now filled with pictures of Cain and himself in the period of the three years that had passed.

Lord Cavalry, Cain's last b-daman was not put away with the awards but left on the ornate dresser as a reminder of his past.

The said blonde sat on the bed with his legs swinging down and a book spread open on the bed. His hair had remained much the same just slightly longer and wilder and his face had become more sculpted and less like a child's. He wore black leather pants with his trademark belts, which had lessened in number and a white trenchcoat with blue trim around the edges. His style was almost the same, just slightly more matured.

Joshua himself had grown out his hair as well. It now rested slightly above his shoulders and he had also grown. His style of dress had become less formal, and while the ever-familiar blue coat was still there along with the black dress pants and leather shoes, he seemed more comfortable and the white shirt had been unbuttoned to reveal toned muscle. And best of all he thought, the irritating red bowtie and the vest were gone.

"Here, I brought breakfast." The ex-butler handed the tray over to Cain who smiled gratefully and moved the book across. Then Cain grasped the tray and pulled it over to his lap. _Thanks_, the blonde mouthed wanting to see the smile across his friend's face.

Joshua smiled back and felt very satisfied for all those long hours learning how to lip-read and remembering the long hours of good-humoured torture they'd both gone through to gain this new ability.

_You know you didn't have to do this_, the boy mouthed again while holding the piece of bread to his mouth.

"But I should, Master Cain." The green-haired boy retorted playfully back, while seeing how much their relationship had grown and strengthened.

The Cain back then would never have thanked or asked, he would've demanded. And the Joshua back then would never had the nerve to actually engage in verbal banter with 'Master Cain.' But then 'Master Cain' had disappeared on the night they'd exchanged their first hug.

Cain laughed soundlessly at the comment and then moved over slightly to let Joshua onto the bed. Handing a piece over to his friend he bit into his own piece. Shuffling over to the silk covers Joshua sat down and for a few minutes there was no sound except for occasional munching and the slurping of coffee.

Cain finished first and placed the mug back on the tray then turned around looking for something. Five minutes passed and Joshua watched with mild amusement, as the blonde still didn't seem to be able to find the notepad Joshua knew he was looking for. Ten minutes passed and still he searched.

At fifteen minutes the blonde gave up and sat back down opening his mouth in a sigh. A hand passed onto his lap revealing a small blue notebook with a gold unicorn on it. Grabbing a nearby pen, he proceeded to write on it. _You knew, didn't you?_

Handing it to Joshua he waited till he'd finished reading it then shot the boy a small pout. _Of course, a butler knows these things oh-great-Master Cain…It was just behind you _

He smiled at his friend's utter disbelief at the location of the previously missing notebook and knew that Cain hadn't changed that much. Especially the bit where he could never find anything.

Again the notebook was passed to him. _And you didn't say anything? _

_No, it's actually quite amusing to see you flail around once in a while. Call it entertainment._

Reading the comment Cain shot the ex-butler a dirty look and then proceeded to pretend to be engrossed in what he was reading.

It was a typical Cain reaction, Joshua decided. "Alright Cain, I'm just going to check on the paperwork. It's probably growing right now." He took the tray and left the blonde to sulk lightly on his own.

Dumping the tray on the kitchen bench he headed for his office – which had previously been a b-da training arena.

And yes, the pile indeed had grown. It was now ENORMOUS, no thanks to Cain who'd convinced him to take the day off yesterday to go to the park. But the new arrivals were still waiting to be sorted.

Going through the pile he quickly filed each one away in the appropriate order of importance according to Cain, "Check, fangirl letter, fangirl letter, marriage proposal, fangirl letter, bill, letter from Council, letter from Yamato, letter from Cou-"

Wait, letter from Yamato? He picked up the envelope and opened the slightly rumpled letter.

_Hey Joshua and Cain!_

This is Yamato here! We're on our B-Da tour and we're visiting near you. Gray, Terry, Wen & Li, me and Enjyu (YEA ENYJU) are all here. And Enyju's not actually that much of a sourpuss; he doesn't eat too much so I get his leftover sardine sandwiches! Terry and Gray say it's disgusting but I call it recycling. I mean it's good for the enviroment!

**The idiot above is Yamato. This is Gray and I apologize for the above paragraph for no grammar and filling it up with crap. How are you doing with Cain? I know we haven't been in touch for a while since the NSA Incident.**

Greetings, this is Terry. How is Cain doing? My sincere apologies for what I think Yamato and Gray wrote. Wen and Enjyu don't have anything to say that is polite in any sort of way. Wait a second lad, Wen says he's sorry for the comment he made back then – you know the flying leap of the cliff bit. Apologies again for their lack of subtlety. 

_Signed the Yamato, Gray, Terry, Wen & Li, Enjyu GANG_

_PS. Guess who came up with the AWESOME name! Me! Yamato!_

_PSS. CAN WE STAY AT YOUR ULTRA AWESOME GIANT MANSION! PLEASE! I'LL BUY A PROPER KITTY LITTER FOR TOMMY AND I WON'T DROP SARDINE SANDWICHES ON YOUR EXPENSIVE GEAR!_

Joshua blinked then reread the letter. They were actually coming to visit. Soon too. Now he was stuck, it would be rude to refuse guests but on the other hand…he wasn't too sure that Cain could handle it.

Since the aforementioned NeoShadow Alliance Cain had become somewhat of a teenage hermit interacting only with Joshua and barely going out. All the previous maids and servants had been dismissed so it was only the two of them in the mansion alone. The blonde had done customary smiles but when he was provoked the fire still burned deeply in the violet orbs and he'd seen the way the hands clenched, trying not to strike out.

And that was with strangers. More so, these people were all bits of Cain's past, a past that Cain had tried so hard not to remember. Maybe, maybe the blonde couldn't handle it.

No, it was this kind of thinking that had created the power-hungry maniac that had previously been the young prodigy. Cain was ready for it. Things had changed and Cain had become more accepting, more forgiving and this would be a final test for both of them. Besides, Yamato and the others wouldn't be there forever. Only for a month at the most, he told himself. Reminding himself to write a formal non-insulting reply back with proper grammar he flicked through the rest of the pile. More contracts, bills and several important letters later he came across a small black envelope.

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Cain stared out the window at the passing scenery. People watching...

Mrs. Poodle was out in her red jogging suit with her five poodles walking again. The suit was obviously a little too tight for her as several bits of flesh threatened to bulge out again. Aah...the reason for it.

Mr. Single GymTrainer walks by...Mrs Poodle smiles at him and winks. They have a short conversation until Mr. Single GymTrainer decides he needs to get going. He tries to go but is held back because the poodles have attached their teeth to his leg. He kicks out and they sink their canine fangs in, he then proceedes to scream like a teenage schoolgirl.

Mrs. Poodle looks horrified that her attempt to romance Mr. Single GymTrainer has failed and the love of her life is being attacked by her dogs. She screams as well and tugs desperately onto the leashes and yells something along the lines of "BAD DOG FIFI! LET GO!"

The dogs let go and Mr. Single GymTrainer rushes off to the safety of the gym with the 'NO DOGS ALLOWED' sign. Mrs. Poodle scolds the dogs furiously then breaks into hysterics earning many stares.

Little Brat is harrasing other kids again. He is determined to go on the swing and pushes the younger boy off. Kid Pushed Off The Swing begins to cry and Babysitter is giving him another scolding.

Little Brat laughs at his peer and then swears at Babysitter. Babysitter looks shocked and tells him, "What would your mother think if she saw you using such bad words!"

Little Brat smirks and replies, "Mama would think you said those naughty words in front of me..." Babysitter pales and mutters something about brats and paycheck.

Little Brat gets his way and hops on the swing. No one else approaches him for a go. Kid Pushed Off The Swing is hiding dejectedly under a tree sniffling quietly.

Couple walks past. Couple consists of the blonde guy who works at the Music and his green haired girlfriend who volunteers at the SPCA on weekends. They stroll past, hands in each other's pockets, whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears as if they were in their own little world that consisted of only themselves.

Couple always makes him depressed. People like them remind him of the one thing he will never have. Sometimes if he stares hard enough the feminine shape changes into Joshua and blonde hair starts to develop red highlights. And when that happens he drifts off, thinking about all he will never have and when he comes back to reality, Joshua is always there asking if he needs help, if he wants to go outside, if he's too tired or hungry. Only Joshua is never there to say those three special words; I love you.

So please Read & Review ppls!


	3. Chapter 2: Kitty

Disclaimer: I don't own Battle B-daman but I do own the cat! Meow!

Lots of friendship kiddie fluff! And Cain Vs. Kitty! Snickers at mental picture

"You sure you're okay with this?" Joshua asks the blonde for the fiftieth time in the day.

The blonde rolls his eyes exasperated and nods. _I. Am. Okay. With. This. See_. He mouthed out very slowly and nodded his head very, very slowly so his friend would hopefully get the message and shut up. Feel the sarcasm, he thought as he felt the headache coming on.

"Alright then." Joshua smiles cheerfully and then turns around as he thinks off something else. "But anytime you feel like you need to sit down, just tell me alright Cain?"

Cain rolls his eyes. Joshua could be such a mother hen sometimes. He had three years to recover for heavens sake; it wasn't as if he was attached to an oxygen tank in a wheelchair struggling for life.

In fact they were simply walking towards the RSPCA for food for Yamato's cat, To-to or something like that. It had been Joshua's idea even as Cain had complained that Yamato should be able to afford his own cat's food supply seeing all the B-da Tournaments with the cash prizes he'd won but Joshua had decided on it anyway. Control freak.

At least he had gotten his way though about the RSPCA. Joshua had wanted to go to the pet store but after telling Joshua it was better as the money went to animal rescue funds and that he didn't need snobby women staring at him his friend had agreed.

Which was why the Joshua was cheerfully bargaining with the female half of the Couple whom's name actually turned out to be Rosella – a girl with a sharp tongue as the two continued to argue while smiling about the price of supplies.

He knew with his budget there was really no need to bargain at all but he let Joshua knowing his friend loved it. As he watched Joshua shoot down the girl with the pet food price and knew he wasn't needed. It would take a while for the catnip, cat basket, water bowl, food bowl, treats, numerous toys, electric blanket, pillows and outfits to all be argued over and then purchased. He wondered why on earth a little scruffy black cat that slept outdoors in the winter would need an electric blanket. Or a little yellow raincoat with matching boots and a hat.

Joshua had the credit card; Cain himself didn't trust himself around money as he had quickly realized he could be sucked in by the most basic and outlandish of lies such as "My great aunty and the rest of my family have died leaving me alone with nothing." That one Joshua had sorted out by pointing out that the salesman's 'dead aunty' had come to visit him at work. Since then Joshua had done most of the accounting side of things leaving him with the more creative organizations.

Walking off down the isles he found animals of all sorts staring back at him pleadingly. Thin waif-like puppies – barely old enough to be separated from the mother, chattering birds with broken wings or twisted claws, a litter of small kittens and in the litter the strangest coloured cat he had ever seen.

It was a delicate cream with shades of gold blended through it, it looked admirably healthy among the litter of half-starved creatures proving it to have survived best but the most intriguing feature about the kitten was it's pure violet eyes that seemed to match his own.

Moving closer to the cage he peered in at the creature and it in turn looked back at him disdainfully as if he was a mere insect and it had descended from above.

Staring at it for a few moments he quickly came to the conclusion that staring at a cat did not encourage it to come closer. So he did one of the most feminine things he could've done. Despite feeling utterly stupid he pushed his fingers between the bars and began to gesture with his hands while mouthing "_Here kitty, kitty…. here kitty, kitty…"_

The cat stared back and then it began to make its way over, daintily stepping over the obstacles in its way. The feeling of smug satisfaction took over humiliation; it might've sounded stupid but it had worked.

"Meow…" It purred innocently at him and began to lick his fingers; it's small tongue lapping as if it was a dish of milk. Cain yanked back his hand in astonishment but before it was fully out a burst of pain struck his index finger.

The sound of laughter was heard behind him and he pulled his hand out to see small bite marks on the tip of his index finger and glared at the kitten that sat innocently mocking him in the cage.

"Here," Joshua managed to stop laughing long enough to hand him a tissue. Taking it from him Cain gently raised it to his bleeding finger to try to clot up the blood.

"He's a feisty little one, isn't he?" Joshua murmured gazing at the cream-coloured cat that had begun to wash itself. "A right prince isn't he?"

_He?_ He mouthed puzzled. As far as he knew Joshua had never been into animals but you never knew with him. He had discovered many things about Joshua once he had been unable to talk. Being mute had shown him many things he had never noticed before.

"I saw you playing with him. I asked Rosella about him for you. He came in a few weeks ago, he was abandoned in an apartment's dumpster where someone found him and took him in."

Cain took a closer look and found that the gleaming fur hid many old scars and the outlines of his bones were just visible. A deep cut perhaps from stitches was hidden under its right rear leg and there were still signs of malnourishment along with small scratches that could have been gained from fighting.

_Oh. _

"Come on Cain, we have to get to the furniture store for extra beds since I've gotten all the supplies we'll need."

Cain nodded and began to follow Joshua before he heard a small meow. Turning around he shot his best death glare at the smirking cat and stuck up his middle finger at it. Joshua however missed the finger and quickly misinterpreted the situation. "Look Cain, we can't keep him alright?" The green-haired boy said comfortingly, laying one hand on Cain's shoulder.

The blonde opened his mouth to protest before he realised what he would have to say to Joshua. He couldn't just tell his friend that the cat had been mocking him and he had just been sticking his middle finger at it. Quickly nodding, he feigned a look of sadness as if he was going to miss the nasty little thing.

Off I go and good riddance to you, he thought as he left the building with Rosella waving at them.

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Later at night…

"So on behalf of the St. Clara's hospital employees I would like to formally introduce you to Joshua who will be speaking of Mr. McDonnell's behalf. Please welcome him to the stage."

As Joshua stepped on, poised and in politician mode to give out the opening speech. More clapping then silence as he took the microphone and began.

Cain watched it all from the front row, wondering how Joshua could be so calm in front of so many people. He could never be so calm, he knew he got easily frustrated and depression came just as easily to him.

Focusing his eyes on the space right next to the Joshua's leather shoes he tried to remember what he had forgotten. He was sure he had forgotten something very important and he was pretty sure it had to do with his friend, which was why he hadn't asked.

Birthday? No it wouldn't have been today, they had celebrated Joshua's 19th birthday a few weeks ago.

Maybe it was…. or perhaps it was…. Cain racked his brain for any hidden information that just happened to be hiding away in a little corner and found none.

A small nudge from Joshua prompted his cue to cut the ribbon. He stepped forward to loud applause and gracefully accepted the pair of scissors from the head doctor who was beaming like he had won the lottery. He probably had, Cain thought, as far as the hospital goes.

He knew the local newspaper would be up there and if all went well and the public donated to the medical funds the man probably would be promoted or at least get a extra pay check.

As the ribbon fell, cheers arose from the crowd and the champagne and confetti flew through the air. Then the fireworks display came on most of the guests rushed off to see it.

Waiting until most of the guests had left he picked up his coat and made his way over to Joshua.

_Freezing._

"Yes, it is getting colder. Its called winter Cain."

_Not fair. _The blonde pouted.

"What?"

_Cold. You have a coat._

"You have one too," Joshua pointed out gesturing at the navy trenchcoat.

_Mine's silk, it's cold against my skin. Yours is much warmer. _

Expecting to hear Joshua tell him off for being a baby, he was surprised to see the other teen pulling off his own jacket and handing it to him.

"Here." Cain eyes widened in surprise than accepted it.

_Won't you be cold?_

"Probably," the other replied casually. "But unlike you, I won't whinge and moan about it."

There wasn't much he could say to that. He offered a smile and mouthed _thanks_.

"It's alright, I'll survive."

Pulling on the jacket he was pleased to find it smelled like Joshua. Brisk, clean but comforting as well. Snuggling into it, he wondered if that was how Joshua smelt, of sandalwood aftershave. He personally wondered if he would ever get to know, he had never noticed it when they had embraced. In fact the hugs had become so frequent they had just become part of the routine. He had always been much too absorbed in the others arms to care what kind of aftershave Joshua used. Not that he would ever get close enough to know.

"Come on then, we should join them."

And the pair walked off onto the balcony where they were greeted by various hospital staff, important socialites around town and other nameless people. After exchanging the proper introductions and greetings they quickly made for the corner where they could be alone free of interruptions.

Cain hated being crowds of people and he knew only Joshua understood his little phobia. He had learned to hide it since he was a child so there were only a few giveaways of this little secret, the odd flinches, the way the eyes always strayed restlessly as if looking for something.

Cain watched Joshua lean against the railing, his shoulder length hair ruffling softly in the wind and suddenly had an urge to play with it. Resisting the urge he looked down at the view of the city he had grown up in, and watched the lights shimmer in the streets.

It was certainly a postcard view of the city, it showed the towering buildings – brightly lit, the open sea sparkled in sliver light under the full moon and best of all the little lighthouse on a small hill, surrounded by forestry.

That little lighthouse brought back so many memories….

**FLASHBACK (Cain is 4 years old, Joshua is 5) (1)**

"Hurry up, Joshua! You're such slowpoke!" The blonde giggled helplessly as his abnormally tall butler had to duck under another branch in his path.

"Coming, coming!" Joshua rolled his eyes, only to get hit by a branch on his left.

The young butler winced as he rubbed the side of his head while Cain looked on in total hysterics. "I'm going to show you my secret place, that's why!" He beamed happily and Joshua let out a small smile.

"This place better be worth all the pain." Joshua glared at the branch threateningly.

"It sure is. It's the bestest place in the whole world Joshua. And it's a secret, so you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Alright, alright Cain." He smiled, the blonde's enthusiasm was contagious.

Seeing the top of the hill Cain looked back down at Joshua who was still behind him and yelled, "Race you to the top!" and took off.

After much panting the duo made it to the top and Cain emerged victorious. "See, I won again."

"Yes, you win again."

The two sat there resting for a moment and Joshua probably would've liked to stay for a bit longer before Cain stood up again.

"Now we go into the lighthouse," he announced. The lighthouse was actually a large medieval tower that had been used many, many years ago as a sailing beacon. Now, looking worse for the wear, the spiralling stone building was on the edge of collapse.

Joshua looked up worried. "It doesn't look all that safe Cain. Your father says it's on the brink of collapse, that means it's going to fall down."

Cain shook his head furiously. "Father just doesn't know. He's a big person that's why he can't go in. You can Joshua and I've been up before."

"But what if it does fall down? You'll get hurt Cain."

"It won't." The blonde said confidently, pushing it with his small hand. "See?" Joshua was not entirely convinced with Cain's little display of strength.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea. We should probably go back."

"No! We're going to go up, we're not leaving till I show you my special place!" Cain insisted dragging Joshua towards the rickety door.

The bottom half of the door had rotted away and Cain had pushed at it until it had completely fallen apart. Not enough for the whole door to collapse but big enough for a small child to crawl through.

Climbing in cautiously after his friend, Joshua's doubt was not squashed by the fact that the insides where much worse that the worn-out condition of the outside.

"Come on." Cain whined, already climbing up the rickety stairs.

Taking delicate steps on the rotting wood planks the two children continued their journey until they had reached the top.

"See, isn't it pretty?" The blonde pointed at the sea, which seemed to flow endlessly and the golden beaches. Surprisingly though there didn't appear to be the usual crowd of tourists and teenagers.

"Where did all the people go Cain?"

"There aren't any." Cain stated smugly folding his arms across his chest. "No one knows about this because it's all hidden by the big trees."

"Oh."

"Is this where you go when you disappear Cain?"

There was a quiet pause and then a small 'yes.'

"I come here when father isn't at the house."

There was more silence as Joshua took it in. For a child Joshua was certainly far too mature for his age.

"And when you have to do work. It's lonely and there's no one to talk to."

"What about the others?"

"I don't like them. They aren't nice like you Joshua. I would like more friends like you than like them. They smile at me but they say bad things about me when I'm not there."

"But they're respectable. That means your father likes them and you can be proper friends with them. Not like when we have to hide to play together."

"I don't care. They aren't nice. You are."

"I'm your servant."

"No, you're my friend."

"But I'm going to have to be your servant once they start teaching you stuff. Like how to be like your father and do complicated work."

"I don't want to do complicated work. I just want to be friends with you."

"We can still be friends. Just when no one is looking."

"But I want to be friends with you all the time."

"We can't. Your father wants to replace me. And you'll have to go away to do stuff."

There was a depressing silence as the duo thought about it.

Then Cain brightened. "Then will you promise to meet me here when I come back?"

"Of course."

"Pinky promise?"

"Yes…"

"And we have our b-da balls!" Cain smiled holding out the little blue ball that seemed to sparkle from the sunlight.

"Yeah…I guess we do." Joshua stared at the toy that seemed to almost mesmerize him.

"Hey! You said yeah. You didn't say yes!" The blonde smiled jubilantly. "Now you can't tell me off for not talking like father wants me too!"

"Yes, but I've only said it once and I'm not going to be important when I grow up."

"But I don't want to be important. I…" Cain trailed off deep in thought.

"Joshua, can you keep a secret?" He whispered, eyes wide. Without stopping for a reply he continued.

"I wanna go on adventures with you. I don't want to be like father, I want to be like that big boy on TV…you know, the one we watched together – how he won that big trophy? I wanna have lot of those, and….and…" he looked around for some more inspiration.

"And we'll travel around in this lighthouse! Like our special travelling place!" Violet eyes sparkled with the thought.

"But it's much too small…to fit a bed and toys and food." Joshua pointed out, shattering the little picture of perfection.

Cain pouted, then brightened. "Well, I ask people to make me a tower. A lot bigger but it will look like this one! And that one will have rooms for everyone and we can b-da battle and have fun all the time!"

"Joshua…what do you want when you grow up?"

More pause then a soft whisper. "I…I want to stay friends with you."

**FLASHBACK END**

Remembering made him all the more grateful Joshua was still here with him. He knew very well that during the NSA and all the times he had treated Joshua like a slave, his friend had never complained and had stayed. Back then he had thought Joshua had to stay, but if Joshua had gone that night he had battled against Gray to join Yamato….he wondered if he would've ever recovered.

Marbles! NSA! Now he remembered, today was the day that the NSA was defeated…the day when they had first hugged. How on earth could he have forgotten? That had probably been the most important day of his life, apart from the time he had first met Joshua. Oh, and that explained why Joshua had snuck off during the lunch with the mayor leaving Cain stranded with the well-meaning jolly man who just couldn't seem to stop talking about the 'good old days.'

Damn. That meant he was supposed to get something too…now it was too late to do anything.

He stared desolately out at the city when something white caught his eyes. It was small, small and very fine but it was definitely snow as it fell onto his hand and melted at the contact. Snow! It hadn't snowed since…since…. he was very young. So young he couldn't even remember when.

A ready-made present.

He patted Joshua on the shoulder, getting the other's attention.

"Cain?"

_My present. _He motioned him to look up as a passing snowflake landed on Joshua's astonished face and melted.

_You said you liked snow. _Understanding Joshua smiled back, his face softening.

"Thank you, I thought you forgot."

_How could I forget? _It was a small white lie but it was well worth it he decided to make Joshua face light up even more.

"Cain…about your present. It's a surprise, show you when we get home, alright?"

Nodding Cain tightened his coat and the duo left leaving the rest of the guest to admire the snow, which they had just noticed.

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"Close your eyes."

Something had been placed into his hands. It felt soft and sleek, but it was fur not material. It had small delicate ears and he could feel long claws digging into his pants. Oh. God.

He opened his eyes to see the cat from hell smirking at him on his lap, claws digging into his thighs.

"See, I got you the cat. Since you liked it so much, I thought, why not get you it? After all, it will be good company."

Masking his true feelings about the feline he smiled with all the vigour he could muster. "It's so cute." He managed to say. True the cat was adorable but hell, those claws were really starting to carve in.

Joshua cocked his head to the side and then smirked. "You two match. This could be a picture moment." He mimed a camera using his hands.

"I'll go get the rest of the supplies and set up. I'll leave you some time to get aqquainted with your new friend."

Watching his ex-butler walk off Cain glared stubbornly at the cat. Karma had to be paying him back for his earlier actions against the damn beast.

_Stupid Cat_. Yes, he would call it that. He was not going to call it anything else, such a menace to society wouldn't deserve a name like Patch or Creamy or whatever people called their cats.

In reply Cat looked innocently at him and retorted. Meow.

So plz review! Will be taking suggestions for names for kitty! My main choice right now is Prince but if you think you have a better name plz say so in your review!

(1) At this age they would still have been friends. I'm assuming Cain starts to get personal tutoring from the age of 5 and he and Joshua are forced to grow up prematurely. That's when they would've grown apart. So right now, Joshua still is only Cain's best friend and they aren't Cain's butler and Master Cain right now.


	4. Chapter 3: Flu

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…just the cat.

Anyway the final fluffiness before all is interrupted by Yamato and Co! Thankies to all the reviewers!!! **Hands out Gray plushies ** I checked da review and there were like 14 reviews which isn't that much for a big category like Fruits Basket or something but that's huge for a small category!

**Flu**

Today had been the usual…Cain had rolled around in bed, got yelled at by Joshua, they had breakfast together and then had parted ways.

Now the blonde sat on his bed, trying to make sense of the numbers and numerous figures on the latest financial report. Needless to say, it was making his brain ache and his head spin dizzily.

He wondered why he had ever volunteered to help Joshua with the financial side of the company. Then he remembered why, he had woken up in an unusually good mood from yesterday and as a result instead of smiling good-naturedly at his friend's dismay at the pile of growing paperwork, offered to help. That was why.

Damn, happiness made him do stupid things...still he would rather do stupid things than be miserable. Unfortunately, letting him do paperwork was stupid and made him miserable and the happy mood had quickly evaporated.

He turned back to the papers in his hand and tried to concentrate. He narrowed his eyes and tried to calculate the figures mentally inside his head. It didn't work, his eyes just became sore and all the numbers and words seemed to melt into one big black and white mess.

Too bad, he thought almost happily. I'll just have to go ask Joshua. At least that wouldn't make his eyes sore or his head spin. And with that he set off towards the makeshift office.

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Knocking on the door before entering, Cain walked into the room that had been the main training room. Since he'd given up however, the room was useless and had quickly been converted into an office.

He walked over to the desks where his friend sat, head bent down working away at an enormous stack of paperwork. He tapped his foot to gain his friend's attention. _Joshua? _

There was no reply. This was particularly strange since he couldn't remember a time when he had been able to speak well mimic speaking anyway, to Joshua without his friend giving him full attention.

_Joshua?_ He prodded the stationary body gently.

This time he got a response. Joshua slowly lifted his head up to give a weary smile. He looked awful, Cain decided. His hair looked like it hadn't been brushed for days and his usual porcelain skin had taken on a yellowish pallor. Panda eyes had also affected his appearance along with the unusually flushed cheeks.

"What do you want?" Joshua snapped out tiredly. "Look, I'm sorry. I've just been really tired lately." He immediately said apologetically.

_It's okay. It's not really important. _Cain sighed; if_ you're that tired I probably could work things out myself…._

"No, it's fine." Emerald eyes took in the paperwork that the blonde held. "It's the paperwork, right? Here, I'll explain."

_Thanks. _And Cain leaned over to here the long explanation that was due to come, a small smile hidden. Even after more than thirteen years of use the same dismal sigh always won over Joshua.

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Suppressing a yawn, Cain finished signing the last page and carefully placed it at the end of the pile. Finally, he thought. The papers had consumed at least three hours and he had only had a small stack. He shuddered to think what it would be like to do it everyday and wondered how Joshua could bear it.

He glanced over at the giant grandfather clock that had been a heirloom passed down his through his family.

12:58.

Lunch.

Not that he was going to make it by any means. He had long discovered that to let him near a stove was to let loose a house fire so he had stuck to using the microwave. There was probably some leftovers from yesterday that he could quickly heat up since there was no way Joshua would be able to fix something up.

To the kitchen it was then.

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10 minutes later, Cain walked up to the office carrying the reheated soup from yesterday. While soup wasn't exactly a five star gourmet delicacy, it was all either of them could consume after 8-course meal to celebrate the opening of the new wing of the hospital.

His shoes click clacking on the polished wood floors of the hallway, he entered the office.

It was quiet…very quiet. Too quiet for someone at work. No clicking of pens either, or at least the quiet curses whenever stationary was dropped. The pile was slowly slipping to one side and several sheets lay scattered on the desk and floor. That was highly unusual, Joshua was the kind of person who got agitated when napkins where folded the wrong way or on the wrong side of the plate.

_Joshua? _No response.

_Joshua? _Still no answer.

Annoyed and a little puzzled Cain walked over to the seemingly lifeless body and tapped him on the shoulder.

There was no reaction and Joshua stayed in the same position.

Setting the bowl and utensils down away from the papers he pulled up Joshua's hands that he had been burying his head in.

As soon as he saw Joshua, he almost laughed. It was a wonder he had never thought of it. Joshua was asleep. It was an obvious reason he hadn't thought of. Why? Because he personally had never seen Joshua tired. Joshua had been like solid support system all the way through his recovery, kind, understanding, persistent and because of it all he often forgot that Joshua was in fact human.

And seeing Joshua's head flopped down on the table in deep slumber had just reassured him that Joshua was human after all.

The sight wasn't unpleasant by any means though. Green hair flopped gently around his face, and the same flushed cheeks rose up and down to the rhythm of his breath. The eyes were closed and the whole expression was one of serene bliss.

Staring at the scene Cain suddenly felt an urge to stroke that hair. No, no, no, no, no; he berated himself. Joshua needs rest, and that could wake him up, he told himself.

Reasoning not working he settled for a quick touch. Clearing some space for himself he reached his hand out to stroke the soft waves of green hair.

It was soft and had a silky feel to it. And it was tousled messily, something Joshua would never have allowed and he felt himself smoothing it over until he thought it looked reasonably Joshua-ish.

Just for a little while, he told himself. But it was addictive and he wondered what it would be like to stroke that same hair while his mouth was attached on and…he was daydreaming again.

Still it wasn't a bad image of them in lip lock so he let it stay for awhile.

_They were sitting on the open balcony of their adjoined rooms and he was wearing Joshua's coat that he had lent him last night. _

_Joshua's right arm was wrapped around his waist while his own left arm was brushing through the messy green tufts of hair. _

_The green-haired male smiles softly and bends down for a chaste kiss, not that chaste was where he was planning to head. _

_Cain pushes Joshua's head down further while he stretches his neck upwards to deepen the kiss. He presses himself up against Joshua and after a few seconds of getting used to the pose his tongue begins to lick at Joshua's lips wanting them to open. _

_He could feel Joshua's slight hesitation as the other allows his mouth to open, letting his tongue access his own. His tongue begins to dart in and out, shyly at first then more boldly as he begins to explore Joshua's mouth. _

_Suddenly he feels something lick his tongue and he finds himself battling against Joshua's tongue for dominance. _

_As their tongues began to dance together he felt his hand stray towards Joshua's forehead, brushing against the hot skin…wait, hot? _

His eyes snapped open with realization and he placed his hand against Joshua's forehead. It was burning.

Suddenly it was all clear. The exhaustion, the yellowish pallor, the flush cheeks and dazed reactions, he had a fever. When? He was fine yesterday so…that was it! Yesterday, the jacket! The idiot had given his jacket to him so he wouldn't be cold and had ended up catching a fever himself!

God, now he felt really bad. If he hadn't been complaining last night the fever would've never happened and he hadn't even offered to give up his own coat in exchange for Joshua's!

All right, he told himself. At the most it's probably a little cold and the room does have heating so that might be why he's a little flushed.

But then again, after glancing down at Joshua's flushed face and the rather laboured breathing he decided that maybe calling up their private doctor would be necessary just to make sure.

First though, he have to get Joshua somewhere cooler as the heated temperature in the room sure wasn't doing much good. He had begun to nudge Joshua in the shoulder in an attempt to awaken him when he realised that would probably deprive the feverish boy of the much needed rest. So waking him was not an option.

To get Joshua out of the room; that was actually the next problem. Maybe he could carry him someway but Joshua was taller than him and probably a lot heavier…common sense said so.

However common sense was Joshua's thing, and Cain himself preferred to just follow his instincts. Common sense just gave him a headache most of the time. So he was going to carry Joshua…somehow and hopefully his friend wasn't too heavy.

After much pulling he was able to pull the chair out from underneath the desk so that Joshua was now facing him.

Wrapping his arms around Joshua he easily pulled him up from the chair and he gasped at how light it felt. He had expected Joshua to be much heavier as he was taller and better built, however as he swung Joshua over one shoulder he found that it was like carrying a life-sized doll.

He had reached the first flight of stairs that led to Joshua's bedroom when his right shoulder had begun to ache. However light Joshua was, he still was a human being and the pain was starting to take its toll on Cain.

Reprimanding himself for letting his physical shape become so weak, he made a promise to start working out again and then placed Joshua down onto the floor as he took a minute to breathe.

He had been worried that perhaps Joshua would wake up from all the moving but his friend seemed to be away in dreamworld so he assumed it didn't disturb him. Panting, he knew that if he carried on like this, and switched shoulders occasionally he was more than likely to get sore shoulders and drop Joshua. He would have to carry him a different way.

There was a way his mind immediately thought of and while he would have to be very careful to not bang into objects, as the hallways were quite narrow it was probably a lot easier than his previous position.

Carefully placing his arms around the sleeping body, he picked him up, bridal style. This was a good choice as he soon realised because it shared the weight fairly evenly and it was easier to manage. And this was how he continued until he reached Joshua's room.

Placing the body on the bed, he pulled a cover over him and then opened the door to his room as the two rooms were adjoined. Picking up the phone he chose the auto-dial option where his doctor's phone number was listed.

Pressing in the dial tone he waited for several seconds for someone to answer. Surprisingly, no one did, which was a surprise since Alyssa, their private doctor had always been available even when he had broken his leg when he fallen down the banisters in the middle of the night and it had been her birthday.

Frowning he redialled the number, and again there was no response. He waited longer this time and then the voice mail came on. "Due to a series of unfortunate events, I have been called to attend to family matters. I will be returning at the fifth of May, I sincerely apologize for any inconveniences. Please state your problem and appointment time, I will get back to you when I return." Then **beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep**.

May the fifth? Cain wondered how this was supposed to help him when it was only the February 10th.

Still, there was probably some medicine in the house somewhere; he knew he had his share of colds when winter came. But first he'd check on Joshua first.

He turned around to see the said person, leaning against the doorframe breathlessly. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

_Are you out of your mind? You're burning up, can barely walk for more than two metres without panting and you're saying that you're perfectly fine?? _

"Stop fussing, that is my job Cain." Joshua waved his hand casually as if brushing it off. "I'm not exactly in top condition but I will be fine."

_Explain why I had to carry you all this way upstairs because you had a fever? _

"You carried me all the way upstairs?" Joshua's expression is almost a mixture between bewilderment and vulnerability.

_Of course! Do you honestly think I would have let you steam in there and make it worse? _

_About your fever, do you remember any of the other doctors that Alyssa suggested for emergencies? _

Joshua's frown deepens. "Look, I have just caught a small cold. I will just take a pill then I will be fine, alright?"

_You forgot the rest part! _

"I will not need too much rest, I have to oversee the corporation's progress, the housekeeping and a few other things."

You are not doing anything while you still have that fever! And stop pretending it's just a cold it's a fever!

"It is just a cold Cain. Stop worrying, I'm going back to bed, see." Joshua walked back to the bed, and then lay down again.

He seemed okay, Cain assumed. His face was still flushed but not as much and he didn't seem to feel nauseous or have a headache. Maybe he had just overreacted.

Turning to leave Cain made sure to give one more reproachful glance. _Don't get out of that bed, where do you keep the pills?_

"White Cabinet, 3rd room to the left, 1st corridor, 2nd floor." The reply was like a programmed response, blunt and exact.

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The door closed and Joshua let out his breath. That hadn't been as easy as he thought it would've been. He had to be more careful from now on, Cain couldn't catch him like this again. It would worry his friend to no end, and that was totally unnecessary.

He could feel his body heating up again and his breath was becoming laboured and gasping. Forcing himself to use a meditation technique to calm the body he suddenly remembered something that was sure to be the start of many headaches.

_These are the right ones I presume? _Cain had returned and was now holding a small white container in his hand with a glass of water in the other.

Placing the pills in Joshua's hands so he could check properly Cain sat down next to him still holding the glass of water.

"Yes, they are." Joshua nodded then handed them back.

_Good, there was another one but that one was for pain relief. _Cain still gives a concerned glance to Joshua.

"By the way, I was going to tell you earlier on but Yamato and the others will be arriving soon."

_Really?? When?_

"Tomorrow."

There was splash as the glass flew into the air giving Joshua a shower and then the glass landed on the dresser shattering.

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So, next chappie Yamato and the Gang arrive!!!!!! And the plot actually begins….these four chappies are more fluff than actual plot…. ;


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